The present application relates to a semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the present application relates to a method of forming a semiconductor structure containing a dense array of single crystalline semiconductor nanocrystals (i.e., nanorods or nanoballs) located on a surface of an insulator utilizing solid phase epitaxy (SPE).
For more than three decades, the continued miniaturization of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) has driven the worldwide semiconductor industry. Various showstoppers to continue scaling have been predicated for decades, but a history of innovation has sustained Moore's Law in spite of many challenges. However, there are growing signs today that metal oxide semiconductor transistors are beginning to reach their traditional scaling limits. Since it has become increasingly difficult to improve MOSFETs and therefore complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) performance through continued scaling, further methods for improving performance in addition to scaling have become critical.
Semiconductor nanocrystals such as, for example, nanoballs and nanorods, have attracted substantial attention due to their potential applications in photonics and sensing technologies. Semiconductor nanocrystals are crystalline semiconductor particles with at least one dimension measuring less than 100 nm. For use in future semiconductor technologies, it is critical to control the size of the nanocrystal below 20 nm and to precisely align the nanocrystals in dense arrays.
In view of the above, there is a need for providing a method of forming semiconductor nanocrystals, i.e., nanoballs and nanorods, that may, in some instances, have a size that is less than 20 nm, and that can be arranged in a dense array.